How to Make the Perfect Green Bean Casserole with Frozen Green Beans

Green bean casserole is a Thanksgiving tradition in many households. The combination of tender green beans, creamy mushroom soup and crispy fried onions is simply irresistible. While fresh green beans make an excellent casserole, using frozen beans can be just as tasty – and much more convenient!

In this simple guide, I’ll provide my best tips for making stellar green bean casserole with frozen beans. You’ll learn how to select, prep and cook frozen green beans to create the ideal texture and flavor. Let’s dive in!

Selecting High Quality Frozen Green Beans

The first step is choosing high quality frozen green beans to ensure optimum flavor and texture. Here’s what to look for:

Cut Style: French cut or French style green beans are ideal. These are sliced on the bias into long thin pieces that cook up tender. Avoid regular cut frozen beans.
Fresh Frozen Check for packages labeled “fresh frozen” for beans frozen at peak ripeness to lock in flavor.
Stringless Stringless varieties will save time prepping. Beans without strings means no tedious removal required
Additive Free: Seek out additive, preservative and sauce free beans. You’ll be adding your own seasonings.
Reputable Brand: Stick to reputable national frozen food brands for best quality assurance.

With the right bag of frozen French cut green beans, you’re well on your way to casserole success.

Thawing and Prep Work for Frozen Beans

Once you’ve selected your frozen beans, here are some tips for pre-casserole prep:

Thaw completely: Let beans thaw overnight in the fridge or use the defrost setting on your microwave. Thawed beans cook more evenly.
Pat dry: Whether thawed or going straight from frozen to casserole, pat the beans dry with paper towels. Excess moisture leads to a watery casserole.
Trim ends: For uniform lengths, line up beans and trim off any ragged ends for shapely green bean pieces.
Leave whole: Resist any urge to cut beans further. Whole French-cut style beans yield the best texture.

That’s all the prep work required. Now we can move on to cooking these frozen beauties into a creamy, crave-worthy casserole.

Cooking Methods for Frozen Beans

You have two options when it comes to cooking your frozen green beans for casserole:

1. Thaw and Bake

This method involves thawing the beans first, then adding them straight to the casserole dish without any pre-cooking.

Mix casserole ingredients like soup, milk and spices in a baking dish.
Stir in thawed, drained green beans.
Top with fried onions.
Bake at 350°F until bubbly, about 30 minutes. The beans cook through as the casserole bakes.

2. Boil then Bake

For this technique, partially pre-cook the frozen beans by boiling before finishing in the casserole.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Add frozen green beans and cook 2-3 minutes until slightly softened but still very crisp.
Drain beans and pat dry again.
Assemble casserole ingredients in dish and mix in par-cooked beans.
Top with fried onions and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

I suggest trying both methods to see which texture you prefer. Pre-cooking firms up the beans a bit more.

Handy Tips for Frozen Bean Casserole

Follow these handy tips for green bean casserole success:

Slightly undercook the beans at each stage. They’ll finish cooking in the casserole.
Add a splash of milk or cream to the casserole mix for extra creaminess.
For added flavor, toss raw frozen beans with oil and seasonings before adding to the casserole.
Top with extra fried onions midway through baking for uber-crispy onions.
Let the casserole rest 10 minutes before serving so the sauce can thicken.

And just like that, you have the secrets to a sensational green been casserole using convenient frozen beans. With these simple tricks, your holiday side dish will be irresistible!

More Delicious Ways to Use Frozen Green Beans

Looking for more ways to enjoy budget-friendly frozen green beans beyond casserole? Here are some of my favorite frozen green bean recipes:

Garlic Butter Frozen Green Beans

Melt butter with minced garlic, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Toss with thawed frozen green beans and roast in a hot oven until browned and crispy.

Cheesy Bacon Frozen Green Beans

Chopped bacon, shredded cheddar and frozen cut green beans are combined in a skillet for a fast, flavorful veggie side.

Frozen Green Beans Amandine

Coat thawed frozen green beans in toasted almond slices, butter and brown sugar then bake until caramelized for a glazed veggie dish.

Frozen Green Bean Salad

Thaw green beans and combine with cherry tomatoes, shaved parmesan and Italian dressing for an easy room temperature salad.

Teriyaki Frozen Green Beans

Toss thawed frozen beans in store-bought teriyaki marinade. Spread on a sheet pan and broil for crispy teriyaki green beans in minutes.

how to make green bean casserole from frozen green beans
k

French’s Classic Green Bean Casserole | We Promise Great Taste

FAQ

Should frozen green beans be thawed before cooking?

Cook Straight from Frozen: There’s no need to thaw your green beans before cooking. They can go directly from the freezer to the pan, which helps retain their crunch and color. Avoid Overcooking: Green beans should be cooked until they’re just tender.

Are frozen or canned green beans better for casserole?

Frozen French-cut green beans are a better option. They hold their texture better than canned, and you can cook them straight from their frozen state. And if you’re using fresh green beans? You’ll need to cook them first by roasting, steaming or boiling them.

Can I substitute frozen green beans for fresh green beans?

If you don’t have any frozen French-cut green beans on hand, you can substitute them for fresh ones, but instead of cooking them all the way through, you’ll stop when they are tender but still crisp. Then, in order to keep them from overcooking from residual heat, blanch them in chilled or ice-cold water.

Are frozen green beans precooked?

Frozen green beans are not as good as fresh, but they’re miles better than canned ones and thus a decent compromise. The nice thing about frozen green beans is that they’re quick frozen but not cooked, which means they retain their color—although their texture suffers a bit in the process of freezing and thawing.